- Brady Tkachuk confirmed he’s “good to go” for Game 1 after a scary injury scare against the Islanders on Saturday
- Tkachuk temporarily lost his vision during the game but all tests came back clear
- See below for Tkachuk’s quotes, the full breakdown, and what’s next for the Senators against Carolina
Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk put any concerns to rest on Tuesday, telling TSN’s Bruce Garrioch that he’s “good to go” for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Carolina Hurricanes.
Tkachuk will sit out Wednesday’s regular-season finale against the Toronto Maple Leafs as a precaution, but the 26-year-old was a full participant in practice at the Canadian Tire Centre on Tuesday. He’s healthy and ready for what comes next.
The injury scare happened Saturday during Ottawa’s 3-0 win over the New York Islanders. Tkachuk threw a hit in the corner and then slowly started losing his vision. He made it to the bench, looking visibly shaken, and returned for just one 13-second shift in the third before leaving the game for good.
Video initially showed Islanders defenseman Ryan Pulock bumping into Tkachuk between the benches, and many assumed that was the cause. Tkachuk cleared that up.
“That was one of the weirdest, scariest moments,” he said. “I threw a hit in the corner and then slowly my vision started going. Nothing hit me in the head all game. When I sat down, I got everything back really quick, but it was nerve-wracking and scary.”
Every test came back clear. Tkachuk went through a battery of precautionary evaluations and was given the green light. Head coach Travis Green also confirmed his captain would be ready for the playoffs.
“I’m feeling good, and I’m ready to go for what’s to come,” Tkachuk said. “I took a lot of tests, precautionary stuff, but everything came back clear.”
Ottawa will need their captain at his best against Carolina. The Hurricanes won 53 games this season and enter the postseason as the top seed in the Eastern Conference. The Senators were bounced by the Maple Leafs in six games during last year’s first round, and they’ll be looking to go further this time around.
Game 1 is set for this weekend at the Lenovo Center in Raleigh, North Carolina. With Tkachuk cleared and Thomas Chabot already back from his own injury, Ottawa’s lineup should be at full strength for the series opener.
